Preparation of soy protein isolate using calcium chloride extraction (&#34;s703&#34;)

ABSTRACT

A soy protein product having a protein content of at least about 60 wt % (N×6.25) d.b., preferably an isolate, is formed by a procedure in which soy protein is extracted from a soy source material using an aqueous calcium chloride solution at low pH, generally about 1.5 to about 5, and separating the resulting aqueous soy protein solution from residual soy protein source. The resulting clarified aqueous soy protein solution may be diluted and the pH adjusted within the range of 1.5-5.0. The solution may be concentrated by ultrafiltration, diafiltered and then dried to provide the soy protein product. The soy protein product is soluble in acidic medium and produces transparent, heat stable solutions and hence may be used for protein fortification of soft drinks and sports drinks.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority under 35 USC 119(e) from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/213,647 filed Jun. 30, 2009.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention is concerned with the preparation of soy protein products.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

In U.S. Provisional Patent Applications Nos. 61/107,112 (7865-373) filed Oct. 21, 2008, 61/193,457 (7865-374) filed Dec. 2, 2008, 61/202,070 (7865-376) filed Jan. 26, 2009, 61/202,553 filed Mar. 12, 2009 (7865-383), 61/213,717 (7865-389) filed Jul. 7, 2009, 61/272,241 (7865-400) filed Sep. 3, 2009 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/603,087 (7865-415) filed Oct. 21, 2009 (US Patent Publication No. 2010-0098818), assigned to the assignee hereof and the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference, there is described the preparation of a soy protein product, preferably a soy protein isolate, which is completely soluble and is capable of providing transparent and heat stable solutions at low pH values. This soy protein product may be used for protein fortification of, in particular, soft drinks and sports drinks, as well as other acidic aqueous systems, without precipitation of protein. The soy protein product is produced by extracting a soy protein source with aqueous calcium chloride solution at natural pH, optionally diluting the resulting aqueous soy protein solution, adjusting the pH of the aqueous soy protein solution to a pH of about 1.5 to about 4.4, preferably about 2.0 to about 4.0, to produce an acidified clear soy protein solution, which may be optionally concentrated and/or diafiltered before drying.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It has now been surprisingly found that a soy protein product having a protein content of at least about 60 wt % (N×6.25) d.b. may be formed by a procedure involving extraction of the soy protein source with calcium chloride at low pH values.

In one aspect of the present invention, a soy protein source material is extracted with aqueous calcium chloride solution at low pH and the resulting aqueous soy protein solution is optionally diluted, optionally adjusted in pH within the acidic range, then subjected to ultrafiltration and optional diafiltration to provide a concentrated and optionally diafiltered soy protein solution, which may be dried to provide the soy protein product.

The soy protein product provided herein, having a protein content of at least about 60 wt % (N×6.25) d.b., is soluble at acid pH values to provide transparent and heat stable aqueous solutions thereof. The soy protein product may be used for protein fortification of, in particular, soft drinks and sports drinks, as well as other aqueous systems without precipitation of protein. The soy protein product is preferably an isolate having a protein content of at least about 90 wt %, preferably at least about 100 wt % (N×6.25) d.b.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of producing a soy protein product having a soy protein content of at least about 60 wt % (N×6.25), on a dry weight basis, which comprises:

-   -   (a) extracting a soy protein source with aqueous calcium salt         solution, generally calcium chloride solution, at low pH,         generally about 1.5 to about 5.0, to cause solubilization of soy         protein from the protein source and to form an aqueous soy         protein solution,     -   (b) separating the aqueous soy protein solution from residual         soy protein source,     -   (c) optionally diluting the aqueous soy protein solution     -   (d) optionally adjusting the pH of the aqueous protein solution         to a value within the range of about 1.5 to about 5.0,         preferably about 1.5 to about 4.4, more preferably about 2.0 to         about 4.0, and differing from the pH of extraction.     -   (e) optionally concentrating the aqueous soy protein solution         while maintaining the ionic strength substantially constant by         using a selective membrane technique,     -   (f) optionally diafiltering the concentrated soy protein         solution, and     -   (g) optionally drying the concentrated and diafiltered soy         protein solution.

The soy protein product preferably is an isolate having a protein content of at least about 90 wt %, preferably at least about 100 wt % (N×6.25) d.b.

Although this specification refers mainly to the production of a soy protein isolate, the concentration and/or diafiltration steps described herein may be manipulated to produce a soy protein product of lesser purity, for example, a soy protein concentrate having a protein content of at least about 60 wt %, but which has substantially similar properties to the isolate.

The novel soy protein product of the invention can be blended with powdered drinks for the formation of aqueous soft drinks or sports drinks by dissolving the same in water. Such blend may be a powdered beverage.

The soy protein product provided herein may be provided as an aqueous solution thereof having a high degree of clarity at acid pH values and which is heat stable at these pH values.

In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an aqueous solution of the soy product provided herein which is heat stable at low pH. The aqueous solution may be a beverage, which may be a clear beverage in which the soy protein product is completely soluble and transparent or an opaque beverage in which the soy protein product does not increase the opacity. The soy protein product also has good solubility at about pH 7. An aqueous solution of the soy protein product, prepared at a near neutral pH, such as a pH of about 6 to about 8, may be a beverage.

The soy protein product produced according to the process herein lacks the characteristic beany flavour of soy protein isolates and are suitable, not only for protein fortification of acidic media, but may be used in a wide variety of conventional applications of protein isolates, including but not limited to protein fortification of processed foods and beverages, emulsification of oils, as a body former in baked goods and foaming agent in products which entrap gases. In addition, the soy protein product may be formed into protein fibers, useful in meat analogs, and may be used as an egg white substitute or extender in food products where egg white is used as a binder. The soy protein product may also be used in nutritional supplements. Other uses of the soy protein product are in pet foods, animal feed and in industrial and cosmetic applications and in personal care products.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

The initial step of the process of providing the soy protein product involves solubilizing soy protein from a soy protein source. The soy protein source may be soybeans or any soy product or by-product derived from the processing of soybeans including but not limited to soy meal, soy flakes, soy grits and soy flour. The soy protein source may be used in the full fat form, partially defatted form or fully defatted form. Where the soy protein source contains an appreciable amount of fat, an oil-removal step generally is required during the process. The soy protein recovered from the soy protein source may be the protein naturally occurring in soybean or the proteinaceous material may be a protein modified by genetic manipulation but possessing characteristic hydrophobic and polar properties of the natural protein.

Protein solubilization from the soy protein source material is effected most conveniently using calcium chloride solution, although solutions of other calcium salts may be used. In addition, other alkaline earth metal compounds may be used, such as magnesium salts. Further, extraction of the soy protein from the soy protein source may be effected using calcium salt solution in combination with another salt solution such as sodium chloride. Additionally, extraction of the soy protein from the soy protein source may be effected using water or other salt solution, such as sodium chloride, with calcium chloride subsequently being added to the aqueous soy protein solution produced in the extraction step. Precipitate formed upon addition of the calcium chloride then is removed prior to subsequent processing.

As the concentration of the calcium salt solution increases, the degree of solubilization of protein from the soy protein source initially increases until a maximum value is achieved. Any subsequent increase in salt concentration does not increase the total protein solubilized. The concentration of calcium salt solution which causes maximum protein solubilization varies depending on the salt concerned. It is usually preferred to utilize a concentration value less than about 1.0 M, and, more preferably, a value of about 0.10 M to about 0.15 M.

In a batch process, the solubilization of the protein is effected at a temperature of from about 1° C. to about 100° C., preferably about 15° to about 35° C., preferably accompanied by agitation to decrease the solubilization time, which is usually about 1 to about 60 minutes. It is preferred to effect the solubilization to extract substantially as much protein from the soy protein source as is practicable, so as to provide an overall high product yield.

In a continuous process, the extraction of the soy protein from the soy protein source is carried out in any manner consistent with effecting a continuous extraction of soy protein from the soy protein source. In one embodiment, the soy protein source is continuously mixed with calcium salt solution and the mixture is conveyed through a pipe or conduit having a length and at a flow rate for a residence time sufficient to effect the desired extraction in accordance with the parameters described herein. In such a continuous procedure, the solubilization step is effected rapidly, in a time of up to about 10 minutes, preferably to effect solubilization to extract substantially as much protein from the soy protein source as is practicable. The solubilization in the continuous procedure is effected at temperatures between about 1° C. and about 100° C., preferably between about 15° C. and about 35° C.

The extraction is generally conducted at a pH of about 1.5 to about 5.0. The pH of the extraction system (soy protein source and calcium salt solution) may be adjusted to any desired value within the range of about 1.5 to about 5.0 for the extraction step by the use of any convenient food grade acid, usually hydrochloric acid or phosphoric acid.

The concentration of soy protein source in the calcium salt solution during the solubilization step may vary widely. Typical concentration values are about 5 to about 15% w/v.

The protein extraction step with the aqueous calcium salt solution has the additional effect of solubilizing fats which may be present in the soy protein source, which then results in the fats being present in the aqueous phase.

The protein solution resulting from the extraction step generally has a protein concentration of about 5 to about 50 g/L, preferably about 10 to about 50 g/L.

The aqueous calcium salt solution may contain an antioxidant. The antioxidant may be any convenient antioxidant, such as sodium sulfite or ascorbic acid. The quantity of antioxidant employed may vary from about 0.01 to about 1 wt % of the solution, preferably about 0.05 wt %. The antioxidant serves to inhibit the oxidation of any phenolics in the protein solution.

The aqueous phase resulting from the extraction step then may be separated from the residual soy protein source, in any convenient manner, such as by employing a decanter centrifuge, followed by disc centrifugation and/or filtration, to remove residual soy protein source material. The separated residual soy protein source may be dried for disposal. Alternatively, the separated residual soy protein source may be processed to recover some residual protein, such as by a conventional isoelectric precipitation procedure or any other convenient procedure to recover such residual protein.

Where the soy protein source contains significant quantities of fat, as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,844,086 and 6,005,076, assigned to the assignee hereof and the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference, then the defatting steps described therein may be effected on the separated aqueous protein. Alternatively, defatting of the separated aqueous protein solution may be achieved by any other convenient procedure.

The aqueous soy protein solution may be treated with an adsorbent, such as powdered activated carbon or granulated activated carbon, to remove colour and/or odour compounds. Such adsorbent treatment may be carried out under any convenient conditions, generally at the ambient temperature of the separated aqueous protein solution. For powdered activated carbon, an amount of about 0.025% to about 5% w/v, preferably about 0.05% to about 2% w/v, is employed. The adsorbing agent may be removed from the soy protein solution by any convenient means, such as by filtration.

The resulting aqueous soy protein solution may be diluted with water generally with about 0.5 to about 10 volumes, preferably about 1 to about 2 volumes, in order to decrease the conductivity of the aqueous soy protein solution to a value of generally below about 90 mS, preferably about 4 to about 31 mS.

The water with which the soy protein solution is mixed may have a temperature of about 2° to about 70° C., preferably about 10° to about 50° C., more preferably about 20° to about 30° C.

The optionally diluted soy protein solution may be adjusted in pH to a value different from the extraction pH but still within the range of about 1.5 to about 5.0, preferably about 1.5 to about 4.4, more preferably about 2.0 to about 4.0, by the addition of any suitable food grade acid, such as hydrochloric acid or phosphoric acid, or food grade alkali, usually sodium hydroxide as required.

The diluted and optionally pH adjusted soy protein solution has a conductivity of generally below about 95 mS, preferably about 4 to about 36 mS.

The aqueous soy protein solution may be subjected to a heat treatment to inactivate heat labile anti-nutritional factors, such as trypsin inhibitors, present in such solution as a result of extraction from the soy protein source material during the extraction step. Such a heating step also provides the additional benefit of reducing the microbial load. Generally, the protein solution is heated to a temperature of about 70° to about 160° C., preferably about 80° to about 120° C., more preferably about 85° C. to about 95° C. for about 10 seconds to about 60 minutes, preferably about 30 seconds to about 5 minutes. The heat treated acidified soy protein solution then may be cooled for further processing as described below, to a temperature of about 2° C. to about 60° C., preferably about 20° to about 35° C.

The resulting aqueous soy protein solution may be directly dried to produce a soy protein product. In order to provide a soy protein isolate having a decreased impurities content and a reduced salt content, the aqueous soy protein solution may be processed prior to drying.

The aqueous soy protein solution may be concentrated to increase the protein concentration thereof while maintaining the ionic strength thereof substantially constant. Such concentration generally is effected to provide a concentrated soy protein solution having a protein concentration of about 50 to about 300 g/L, preferably about 100 to about 200 g/L.

Prior to the concentration step, the aqueous soy protein solution may be subjected to a polishing operation to remove any residual soy source material fines not removed in the separation step discussed above. Such polishing step may be effected in any convenient manner, such as by filtration.

The concentration step may be effected in any convenient manner consistent with batch or continuous operation, such as by employing any convenient selective membrane technique, such as ultrafiltration or diafiltration, using membranes, such as hollow-fibre membranes or spiral-wound membranes, with a suitable molecular weight cut-off, such as about 3,000 to about 1,000,000 Daltons, preferably about 5,000 to about 100,000 Daltons, having regard to differing membrane materials and configurations, and, for continuous operation, dimensioned to permit the desired degree of concentration as the aqueous protein solution passes through the membranes.

As is well known, ultrafiltration and similar selective membrane techniques permit low molecular weight species to pass therethrough while preventing higher molecular weight species from so doing. The low molecular weight species include not only the ionic species of the food grade salt but also low molecular weight materials extracted from the source material, such as carbohydrates, pigments, low molecular weight proteins and anti-nutritional factors, such as trypsin inhibitor, which themselves are low molecular weight proteins. The molecular weight cut-off of the membrane is usually chosen to ensure retention of a significant proportion of the protein in the solution, while permitting contaminants to pass through having regard to the different membrane materials and configurations.

The concentrated soy protein solution then may be subjected to a diafiltration step using water or a dilute saline solution. The diafiltration solution may be at its natural pH or at a pH equal to that of the protein solution being diafiltered or at any pH value in between. Such diafiltration may be effected using from about 2 to about 40 volumes of diafiltration solution, preferably about 5 to about 25 volumes of diafiltration solution. In the diafiltration operation, further quantities of contaminants are removed from the aqueous soy protein solution by passage through the membrane with the permeate. This purifies the aqueous protein solution and may also reduce its viscosity. The diafiltration operation may be effected until no significant further quantities of contaminants or visible colour are present in the permeate or until the retentate has been sufficiently purified so as, when dried, to provide a soy protein isolate with a protein content of at least about 90 wt % (N×6.25) d.b. Such diafiltration may be effected using the same membrane as for the concentration step. However, if desired, the diafiltration step may be effected using a separate membrane with a different molecular weight cut-off, such as a membrane having a molecular weight cut-off in the range of about 3,000 to about 1,000,000 Daltons, preferably about 5,000 to about 100,000 Daltons, having regard to different membrane materials and configuration.

Alternatively, the diafiltration step may be applied to the aqueous protein solution prior to concentration or to the partially concentrated aqueous protein solution. Diafiltration may also be applied at multiple points during the concentration process. When diafiltration is applied prior to concentration or to the partially concentrated solution, the resulting diafiltered solution may then be additionally concentrated. The viscosity reduction achieved by diafiltering multiple times as the protein solution is concentrated may allow a higher final, fully concentrated protein concentration to be achieved. This reduces the volume of material to be dried.

The concentration step and the diafiltration step may be effected herein in such a manner that the soy protein product subsequently recovered contains less than about 90 wt % protein (N×6.25) d.b., such as at least about 60 wt % protein (N×6.25) d.b. By partially concentrating and/or partially diafiltering the aqueous soy protein solution, it is possible to only partially remove contaminants. This protein solution may then be dried to provide a soy protein product with lower levels of purity. The soy protein product is still able to produce clear protein solutions under acidic conditions.

An antioxidant may be present in the diafiltration medium during at least part of the diafiltration step. The antioxidant may be any convenient antioxidant, such as sodium sulfite or ascorbic acid. The quantity of antioxidant employed in the diafiltration medium depends on the materials employed and may vary from about 0.01 to about 1 wt %, preferably about 0.05 wt %. The antioxidant serves to inhibit the oxidation of any phenolics present in the concentrated soy protein solution.

The concentration step and the optional diafiltration step may be effected at any convenient temperature, generally about 2° C. to about 60° C., preferably about 20° C. to about 35° C., and for the period of time to effect the desired degree of concentration and diafiltration. The temperature and other conditions used to some degree depend upon the membrane equipment used to effect the membrane processing, the desired protein concentration of the solution and the efficiency of the removal of contaminants to the permeate.

There are two main trypsin inhibitors in soy, namely the Kunitz inhibitor, which is a heat-labile molecule with a molecular weight of approximately 21,000 Daltons, and the Bowman-Birk inhibitor, a more heat-stable molecule with a molecular weight of about 8,000 Daltons. The level of trypsin inhibitor activity in the final soy protein product can be controlled by manipulation of various process variables.

As noted above, heat treatment of the aqueous soy protein solution may be used to inactivate heat-labile trypsin inhibitors. The partially concentrated or fully concentrated soy protein solution may also be heat treated to inactivate heat labile trypsin inhibitors.

In addition, the concentration and/or diafiltration steps may be operated in a manner favorable for removal of trypsin inhibitors in the permeate along with the other contaminants. Removal of the trypsin inhibitors is promoted by using a membrane of larger pore size (such as about 30,000 to about 1,000,000 Da), operating the membrane at elevated temperatures (such as about 30° C. to about 60° C.) and employing greater volumes of diafiltration medium (such as about 20 to about 40 volumes).

Extracting and/or membrane processing the protein solution at a lower pH (1.5-3.0) may reduce the trypsin inhibitor activity relative to processing the solution at higher pH (3.0-5.0). When the protein solution is concentrated and diafiltered at the low end of the pH range, it may be desired to raise the pH of the retentate prior to drying. The pH of the concentrated and diafiltered protein solution may be raised to the desired value, for example pH 3, by the addition of any convenient food grade alkali such as sodium hydroxide. If it is desired to lower the pH of the retentate prior to drying, this may be done so by the addition of any convenient food grade acid such as hydrochloric acid or phosphoric acid.

Further, a reduction in trypsin inhibitor activity may be achieved by exposing soy materials to reducing agents that disrupt or rearrange the disulfide bonds of the inhibitors. Suitable reducing agents include sodium sulfite, cysteine and N-acetylcysteine.

The addition of such reducing agents may be effected at various stages of the overall process. The reducing agent may be added with the soy protein source material in the extraction step, may be added to the clarified aqueous soy protein solution following removal of residual soy protein source material, may be added to the concentrated protein solution before or after diafiltration or may be dry blended with the dried soy protein product. The addition of the reducing agent may be combined with a heat treatment step and the membrane processing steps, as described above.

If it is desired to retain active trypsin inhibitors in the concentrated protein solution, this can be achieved by eliminating or reducing the intensity of the heat treatment step, not utilizing reducing agents, operating the concentration and diafiltration steps at the higher end of the pH range (3.0. to 5.0), utilizing a concentration and diafiltration membrane with a smaller pore size, operating the membrane at lower temperatures and employing fewer volumes of diafiltration medium.

The concentrated and optionally diafiltered protein solution may be subject to a further defatting operation, if required, as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,844,086 and 6,005,076. Alternatively, defatting of the concentrated and optionally diafiltered protein solution may be achieved by any other convenient procedure.

The concentrated and diafiltered aqueous protein solution may be treated with an adsorbent, such as powdered activated carbon or granulated activated carbon, to remove colour and/or odour compounds. Such adsorbent treatment may be carried out under any convenient conditions, generally at the ambient temperature of the concentrated protein solution. For powdered activated carbon, an amount of about 0.025% to about 5% w/v, preferably about 0.05% to about 2% w/v, is employed. The adsorbent may be removed from the soy protein solution by any convenient means, such as by filtration.

The concentrated and diafiltered aqueous soy protein solution may be dried by any convenient technique, such as spray drying or freeze drying. A pasteurization step may be effected on the soy protein solution prior to drying to reduce the microbial load. Such pasteurization step may be effected under any desired pasteurization conditions. Generally, the concentrated and optionally diafiltered soy protein solution is heated to a temperature of about 55° to about 70° C., preferably about 60° to about 65° C., for about 30 seconds to about 60 minutes, preferably about 10 minutes to about 15 minutes. The pasteurized concentrated and diafiltered soy protein solution then may be cooled for drying, preferably to a temperature of about 25° to about 40° C.

The dry soy protein product has a protein content in excess of about 60 wt % N×6.25) d.b. Preferably, the dry soy protein product is an isolate with a high protein content, in excess of about 90 wt % protein, preferably at least about 100 wt % (N×6.25) d.b.

The soy protein products produced herein are soluble in an acidic aqueous environment, making the product ideal for incorporation into beverages, both carbonated and uncarbonated, to provide protein fortification thereto. Such beverages have a wide range of acidic pH values, ranging from about 2.5 to about 5. The soy protein products provided herein may be added to such beverages in any convenient quantity to provide protein fortification to such beverages, for example, at least about 5 g of the soy protein per serving. The added soy protein product dissolves in the beverage and does not impair the clarity of the beverage, even after thermal processing. The soy protein product may be blended with dried beverage prior to reconstitution of the beverage by dissolution in water. In some cases, modification of the normal formulation of the beverages to tolerate the composition of the invention may be necessary where components present in the beverage may adversely affect the ability of the composition to remain dissolved in the beverage.

EXAMPLES Example 1

This Example illustrates the preparation of transparent, heat stable protein solutions utilizing extraction with calcium chloride solution at low pH.

Soy white flakes (10 g) were combined with 0.15M calcium chloride solution (100 ml) and the pH of the samples adjusted immediately to 4.8 and 1.5 with HCl. The samples were extracted at room temperature for 30 minutes using a magnetic stirrer. The pH of the samples was monitored and adjusted two times during the 30 minute extraction. The extract was separated from the spent meal by centrifugation at 10,200 g for 10 minutes and the centrates further clarified by filtration using 25 μm pore size filter paper. The clarity of the filtrates was measured using a HunterLab ColorQuest XE operated in transmission mode to supply a percentage haze reading. The samples were then diluted with one volume of reverse osmosis purified water and the haze level measured again. The pH of the diluted samples was then adjusted to 3 using either HCl or NaOH as necessary. The haze level of the pH adjusted samples was then analyzed. The samples were then heat treated to 95° C. for 30 seconds, immediately cooled to room temperature in ice water and the haze level re-assessed.

The haze values determined for the various samples are shown in Tables 1 and 2.

TABLE 1 Haze values for the treatment of samples from extraction with calcium chloride solution at pH 1.5 sample haze (%) filtrate 27.8 diluted filtrate 17.1 diluted filtrate at pH 3 16.8 diluted filtrate at pH 3 after heat treatment 10.4

TABLE 2 Haze values for the treatment of samples from extraction with calcium chloride solution at pH 4.8 sample haze (%) filtrate 36.2 diluted filtrate 99.1 diluted filtrate at pH 3 8.4 diluted filtrate at pH 3 after heat treatment 6.0

As may be seen from the results presented in Tables 1 and 2, the initial filtrates were somewhat hazy, however improved clarity may have been obtained by utilizing a finer filter. Dilution with one volume of water improved the clarity of the pH 1.5 sample but introduced precipitation in the pH 4.8 sample. Adjusting the pH of the diluted samples to 3 gave good clarity to the sample that was originally at pH 4.8, while the sample that was originally at pH 1.5 had perhaps a slight haze. After heat treatment both samples were considered clear.

Example 2

This Example illustrates the preparation of a soy protein isolate in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

20 kg of defatted, minimally heat treated soy flour was added to 200 L of 0.15M calcium chloride solution at ambient temperature and agitated for 30 minutes to provide an aqueous protein solution. Immediately after the flour was dispersed in the calcium chloride solution, the pH of the system was adjusted to 3 by the addition of dilute HCl. The pH was monitored and corrected to 3 periodically over the course of the 30 minute extraction. The residual soy flour was removed by centrifugation to yield 174 L of protein solution having a protein content of 3.37% by weight. The protein solution was then combined with 174 L of reverse osmosis purified water and the pH corrected to 3. This solution was then polished by filtration to yield 385 L of filtered protein solution having a protein content of 1.21% by weight.

The filtered protein solution was reduced in volume to 25 L by concentration on a PVDF membrane having a molecular weight cutoff of 5,000 daltons. The concentrated protein solution was then diafiltered with 125 L of reverse osmosis purified water. The resulting diafiltered, concentrated protein solution had a protein content of 14.51% by weight and represented a yield of 81.3 wt % of the filtered protein solution. The diafiltered, concentrated protein solution was then dried to yield a product found to have a protein content of 99.18% (N×6.25) d.b. The product was termed S005-A13-09A S703.

A 3.2 wt % protein solution of S005-A13-09A 5703 was prepared in water and the colour and clarity assessed using a HunterLab Color Quest XE instrument operated in transmission mode. The pH of the solution was measured with a pH meter.

The pH, colour and clarity values are set forth in the following Table 3:

TABLE 3 pH and HunterLab scores for 3.2% protein solution of S005-A13-09A S703 sample pH L* a* b* haze (%) S703 3.12 87.31 0.67 18.99 43.9 As may be seen from Table 3, the solution of S703 in water was semi-transparent, not transparent. The relatively high level of haze in this sample resulted in the L* value being somewhat lower than expected.

The colour of the dry powder was also assessed with the HunterLab Color Quest XE instrument in reflectance mode. The colour values are set forth in the following Table 4:

TABLE 4 HunterLab scores for S005-A13-09A S703 dry powder sample L* a* b* S703 85.67 0.05 10.57

As may be seen from Table 4, the dry product was very light in colour.

Example 3

This Example contains an evaluation of the heat stability in water of the soy protein isolate produced by the method of Example 2 (S703).

A 2% w/v protein solution of S005-A13-09A S703 in water was produced and the pH adjusted to 3. The clarity of this solution was assessed by haze measurement with the HunterLab Color Quest XE instrument. The solution was then heated to 95° C., held at this temperature for 30 seconds and then immediately cooled to room temperature in an ice bath. The clarity of the heat treated solution was then measured again.

The clarity of the protein solution before and after heating is set forth in the following Table 5:

TABLE 5 Effect of heat treatment on clarity of S005-A13-09A S703 solution sample haze (%) before heating 43.6 after heating 30.7

As can be seen from the results in Table 5, it was found that the initial solution of S005-A13-09A S703 was quite hazy. However, the solution was heat stable, with the haze level actually reduced somewhat by the heat treatment.

Example 4

This Example contains an evaluation of the solubility in water of the soy protein isolate produced by the method of Example 2 (S703). Solubility was tested based on protein solubility (termed protein method, a modified version of the procedure of Morr et al., J. Food Sci. 50:1715-1718) and total product solubility (termed pellet method).

Sufficient protein powder to supply 0.5 g of protein was weighed into a beaker and then a small amount of reverse osmosis (RO) purified water was added and the mixture stirred until a smooth paste formed. Additional water was then added to bring the volume to approximately 45 ml. The contents of the beaker were then slowly stirred for 60 minutes using a magnetic stirrer. The pH was determined immediately after dispersing the protein and was adjusted to the appropriate level (2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7) with diluted NaOH or HCl. A sample was also prepared at natural pH. For the pH adjusted samples, the pH was measured and corrected two times during the 60 minutes stirring. After the 60 minutes of stirring, the samples were made up to 50 ml total volume with RO water, yielding a 1% w/v protein dispersion. The protein content of the dispersions was measured using a Leco FP528 Nitrogen Determinator. Aliquots (20 ml) of the dispersions were then transferred to pre-weighed centrifuge tubes that had been dried overnight in a 100° C. oven then cooled in a desiccator and the tubes capped. The samples were centrifuged at 7800 g for 10 minutes, which sedimented insoluble material and yielded a clear supernatant. The protein content of the supernatant was measured by Leco analysis and then the supernatant and the tube lids were discarded and the pellet material dried overnight in an oven set at 100° C. The next morning the tubes were transferred to a desiccator and allowed to cool. The weight of dry pellet material was recorded. The dry weight of the initial protein powder was calculated by multiplying the weight of powder used by a factor of ((100−moisture content of the powder (%))/100). Solubility of the product was then calculated two different ways:

Solubility (protein method) (%)=(% protein in supernatant/% protein in initial dispersion)×100  1)

Solubility (pellet method) (%)=(1−(weight dry insoluble pellet material/((weight of 20 ml of dispersion/weight of 50 ml of dispersion)×initial weight dry protein powder)))×100  2)

The natural pH value of the protein isolate produced in Example 1 in water (1% protein) is shown in Table 6:

TABLE 6 Natural pH of S703 solution prepared in water at 1% protein Batch Product Natural pH S005-A13-09A S703 3.36

The solubility results obtained are set forth in the following Tables 7 and 8:

TABLE 7 Solubility of S703 at different pH values based on protein method Solubility (protein method) (%) Batch Product pH 2 pH 3 pH 4 pH 5 pH 6 pH 7 Nat. pH S005- S703 95.8 100 81.7 0.0 71.7 100 100 A13-09A

TABLE 8 Solubility of S703 at different pH values based on pellet method Solubility (pellet method) (%) Batch Product pH 2 pH 3 pH 4 pH 5 pH 6 pH 7 Nat. pH S005- S703 95.9 95.9 83.8 11.9 69.2 96.0 95.2 A13-09A

As can be seen from the results of Tables 7 and 8, the 5703 product was highly soluble at pH values 2, 3 and 7 as well as at the natural pH. The solubility was slightly lower at pH 4.

Example 5

This Example contains an evaluation of the clarity in water of the soy protein isolate produced by the method of Example 2 (S703).

The clarity of the 1% w/v protein solution prepared as described in Example 3 was assessed by measuring the absorbance at 600 nm, with a lower absorbance score indicating greater clarity. Analysis of the samples on a HunterLab ColorQuest XE instrument in transmission mode also provided a percentage haze reading, another measure of clarity.

The clarity results are set forth in the following Tables 9 and 10:

TABLE 9 Clarity of S703 solution at different pH values as assessed by A600 A600 Batch Product pH 2 pH 3 pH 4 pH 5 pH 6 pH 7 Nat. pH S005- S703 0.098 0.152 1.381 >3.0 1.876 0.155 0.192 A13-09A

TABLE 10 Clarity of S703 solution at different pH values as assessed by HunterLab analysis HunterLab haze reading (%) Batch Product pH 2 pH 3 pH 4 pH 5 pH 6 pH 7 Nat. pH S005- S703 12.0 20.8 86.3 91.6 90.0 19.7 29.8 A13-09A

As can be seen from the results of Tables 9 and 10, the solutions of 5703 were clear to slightly hazy at pH 2-3. A slightly hazy solution was also obtained at pH 7.

Example 6

This Example contains an evaluation of the solubility in a soft drink (Sprite) and sports drink (Orange Gatorade) of the soy protein isolate produced by the method of Example 2 (S703). The solubility was determined with the protein added to the beverages with no pH correction and again with the pH of the protein fortified beverages adjusted to the level of the original beverages.

When the solubility was assessed with no pH correction, a sufficient amount of protein powder to supply 1 g of protein was weighed into a beaker and a small amount of beverage was added and stirred until a smooth paste formed. Additional beverage was added to bring the volume to 50 ml, and then the solutions were stirred slowly on a magnetic stirrer for 60 minutes to yield a 2% protein w/v dispersion. The protein content of the samples was analyzed using a LECO FP528 Nitrogen Determinator then an aliquot of the protein containing beverages was centrifuged at 7800 g for 10 minutes and the protein content of the supernatant measured.

Solubility (%)=(% protein in supernatant/% protein in initial dispersion)×100

When the solubility was assessed with pH correction, the pH of the soft drink (Sprite) (3.39) and sports drink (Orange Gatorade) (3.19) without protein was measured. A sufficient amount of protein powder to supply 1 g of protein was weighed into a beaker and a small amount of beverage was added and stirred until a smooth paste formed. Additional beverage was added to bring the volume to approximately 45 ml, and then the solutions were stirred slowly on a magnetic stirrer for 60 minutes. The pH of the protein containing beverages was measured and then adjusted to the original no-protein pH with HCl or NaOH as necessary. The total volume of each solution was then brought to 50 ml with additional beverage, yielding a 2% protein w/v dispersion. The protein content of the samples was analyzed using a LECO FP528 Nitrogen Determinator then an aliquot of the protein containing beverages was centrifuged at 7800 g for 10 minutes and the protein content of the supernatant measured.

Solubility (%)=(% protein in supernatant/% protein in initial dispersion)×100

The results obtained are set forth in the following Table 11:

TABLE 11 Solubility of S703 in Sprite and Orange Gatorade no pH correction pH correction Solubility Solubility Solubility (%) Solubility (%) (%) in in Orange (%) in Orange Batch Product Sprite Gatorade in Sprite Gatorade S005-A13-09A S703 94.8 100 99.0 93.6

As can be seen from the results of Table 11, the S703 was highly soluble in the Sprite and the Orange Gatorade. As S703 is an acidified product, protein addition had little effect on beverage pH.

Example 7

This Example contains an evaluation of the clarity in a soft drink and sports drink of the soy protein isolate produced by the method of Example 2 (S703).

The clarity of the 2% w/v protein dispersions prepared in soft drink (Sprite) and sports drink (Orange Gatorade) in Example 6 were assessed using the methods described in Example 5. For the absorbance measurements at 600 nm, the spectrophotometer was blanked with the appropriate beverage before the measurement was performed.

The results obtained are set forth in the following Tables 12 and 13:

TABLE 12 Clarity (A600) of S703 in Sprite and Orange Gatorade no pH correction pH correction A600 in A600 in A600 Orange A600 Orange Batch Product in Sprite Gatorade in Sprite Gatorade S005-A13-09A S703 0.460 0.404 0.471 0.539

TABLE 13 HunterLab haze readings for S703 in Sprite and Orange Gatorade no pH correction pH correction haze (%) haze (%) haze (%) in Orange haze (%) in Orange Batch Product in Sprite Gatorade in Sprite Gatorade no protein 0.0 44.0 0.0 44.0 S005-A13-09A S703 58.5 74.3 55.6 79.5

As can be seen from the results of Tables 12 and 13, the good solubility results obtained for the S703 in the Sprite and the Orange Gatorade did not translate to clarity in these beverages. In fact, the resulting solutions were quite hazy.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

In summary of this disclosure, the present invention provides a method of producing a soy protein isolate which is soluble in acid media, based on extraction of a soy protein source material using aqueous calcium chloride solution at low pH. Modifications are possible within the scope of this invention. 

1. A method of producing a soy protein product having a soy protein content of at least about 60 wt % (N×6.25) on a dry weight basis, which comprises: (a) extracting a soy protein source with an aqueous calcium salt solution at a pH of about 1.5 to about 5 to cause solubilization of soy protein from the soy protein source and to form an aqueous soy protein solution, (b) separating the aqueous soy protein solution from residual soy protein source,
 2. The process of claim 1 wherein said extraction step is effected using an aqueous calcium chloride solution having a concentration of less than about 1.0 M.
 3. The process of claim 2 wherein said aqueous calcium chloride solution has a concentration of about 0.10 to about 0.15 M.
 4. The process of claim 1 wherein said extraction step is effected at a temperature of about 15° to about 35° C.
 5. The process of claim 1 wherein said aqueous soy protein solution has a protein concentration of about 5 to about 50 g/L.
 6. The process of claim 5 wherein said protein concentration is about 10 to about 50 g/L.
 7. The process of claim 1 wherein said aqueous calcium salt solution contains an antioxidant.
 8. The process of claim 1 wherein, following said separation step, said aqueous soy protein solution is treated with an adsorbent to remove colour and/or odour compounds from the aqueous soy protein solution.
 9. The process of claim 1 wherein following said separation step, the pH of the aqueous protein solution, is adjusted to a different value within the range of about 1.5 to about 5.0.
 10. The process of claim 9 wherein the pH value is adjusted to about 1.5 to about 4.4.
 11. The process of claim 10 wherein the pH value is adjusted to about 2.0 to 4.0.
 12. The process of claim 1 wherein, following said separation step, said aqueous soy protein solution is diluted to a conductivity of less than about 80 mS.
 13. The process of claim 12 wherein said aqueous soy protein solution is diluted with about 1 to about 10 volumes of water to provide a conductivity of said soy protein solution of about 4 to about 29 mS.
 14. The process of claim 12 wherein said water has a temperature of about 2° C. to about 70° C.
 15. The process of claim 14 wherein said temperature is about 10° to about 50° C.
 16. The process of claim 15 wherein said temperature is about 20° to about 30° C.
 17. The process of claim 12 wherein following said dilution step, the pH of the aqueous protein solution, is adjusted to a different value within the range of about 1.5 to about 5.0.
 18. The process of claim 17 wherein the pH is adjusted to about 1.5 to about 4.4.
 19. The process of claim 17 wherein the pH is adjusted to about 2.0 to about 4.0.
 20. The process of claim 17 wherein said soy protein solution, following the dilution and pH adjustment steps has a conductivity of less than about 85 mS.
 21. The process of claim 20 wherein said conductivity is about 4 to about 34 mS.
 22. The process of claim 1, wherein said aqueous protein solution is subjected to a heat treatment step to inactivate heat-labile anti-nutritional factors.
 23. The process of claim 22 wherein the anti-nutritional factors are heat-labile trypsin inhibitors.
 24. The process of claim 22 wherein the heat treatment step also pasteurizes the aqueous soy protein solution.
 25. The process of claim 22, wherein said heat treatment is effected at a temperature of about 70° to about 160° C. for about 10 seconds to about 60 minutes.
 26. The process of claim 25 wherein said heat treatment is effected at a temperature of about 80° to about 120° C. for about 10 seconds to about 5 minutes.
 27. The process of claim 26 wherein said heat treatment is effected at a temperature of about 85° C. to about 95° C. for about 30 seconds to about 5 minutes.
 28. The process of claim 22 wherein the heat treated soy protein solution is cooled to a temperature of about 2° to about 60° C. for further processing.
 29. The process of claim 28 wherein the heat treated soy protein solution is cooled to a temperature of about 20° to about 35° C. for further processing.
 30. The process of claim 1 wherein said soy protein solution is dried to provide a soy protein product having a soy protein content of at least about 60 wt % (N×6.25) d.b.
 31. The process of claim 1 wherein said soy protein solution is concentrated while maintaining the ionic strength thereof substantially constant to produce a concentrated soy protein solution having a protein concentration of about 50 to about 300 g/L and the concentrated soy protein solution is optionally diafiltered.
 32. The process of claim 31 wherein said concentrated soy protein solution has a protein concentration of about 100 to about 200 g/L.
 33. The process of claim 31 wherein said concentration step is effected by ultrafiltration using a membrane having a molecular weight cut-off of about 3,000 to about 1,000,000 Daltons.
 34. The process of claim 33 wherein said membrane has a molecular weight cut-off of about 5,000 to about 100,000 Daltons.
 35. The process of claim 31 wherein a diafiltration step is effected using water, dilute saline, acidified water or acidified dilute saline on the soy protein solution before or after partial or complete concentration thereof.
 36. The process of claim 35 wherein said diafiltration is effected using about 2 to about 40 volumes of diafiltration solution.
 37. The process of claim 36 wherein said diafiltration is effected using about 5 to about 25 volumes of diafiltration solution.
 38. The process of claim 35 wherein said diafiltration is effected until no significant further quantities of contaminants or visible colour are present in the permeate.
 39. The process of claim 35 wherein said diafiltration is effected until the retentate has been sufficiently purified so as, when dried, to provide a soy protein isolate with a protein content of at least about 90 wt % (N×6.25) d.b.
 40. The process of claim 35 wherein said diafiltration is effected using a membrane having a molecular weight cut-off of about 3,000 to about 1,000,000 Daltons.
 41. The process of claim 40 wherein said membrane has a molecular weight cut-off of about 5,000 to about 100,000 Daltons.
 42. The process of claim 35 wherein an antioxidant is present in the diafiltration medium during at least part of the diafiltration step.
 43. The process of claim 31 wherein said concentration step and optional diafiltration step are carried out at a temperature of about 2° to about 60° C.
 44. The process of claim 43 wherein said temperature is about 20° to about 35° C.
 45. The process of claim 31 wherein the concentrated and optionally diafiltered soy protein solution is subjected to a heat treatment step to inactivate heat-labile anti-nutritional factors, including heat-labile trypsin.
 46. The process of claim 45 wherein said heat treatment is effected at a temperature of about 70° to about 160° C. for about 10 seconds to 60 minutes, preferably a temperature of about 80° to about 120° C. for about 10 seconds to about 5 minutes, more preferably about 88° to about 95° C. for about 30 seconds to about 5 minutes.
 47. The process of claim 46 wherein the heat treated soy protein solution is cooled to a temperature of about 2° to about 60° C., preferably about 20° to about 35° C., for further processing.
 48. The process of claim 1 wherein said soy protein solution is concentrated and/or diafiltered to produce a concentrated and/or diafiltered soy protein solution which, when dried, provides a soy protein product having a protein concentration of at least about 60 wt % (N×6.25) d.b.
 49. The process of claim 31 wherein said concentrated and optionally diafiltered soy protein solution is treated with an adsorbent to remove colour and/or odour compounds.
 50. The process of claim 31 wherein said concentrated and optionally diafiltered soy protein solution is pasteurized prior to drying.
 51. The process of claim 50 wherein said pasteurization step is effected at a temperature of about 55° to about 70° C. for about 30 seconds to about 60 minutes.
 52. The process of claim 51 wherein said pasteurization step is effected at a temperature of about 60° to about 65° C. for about 10 to about 15 minutes.
 53. The process of claim 52 wherein said concentrated and optionally diafiltered soy protein solution is dried to provide a soy protein isolate having a protein content of at least about 90 wt % (N×6.25) d.b.
 54. The process of claim 53 wherein said soy protein isolate has a protein content of at least about 100 wt % (N×6.25) d.b.
 55. The process of claim 31 wherein the concentration and/or optional diafiltration step are operated in a manner favourable to the removal of trypsin inhibitors.
 56. The process of claim 1 wherein a reducing agent is present during the extraction step to disrupt or rearrange the disulfide bonds of trypsin inhibitors to achieve a reduction in trypsin inhibitor activity.
 57. The process of claim 31 wherein a reducing agent is present during the concentration and/or optional diafiltration step to disrupt or rearrange the disulfide bonds of trypsin inhibitors to achieve a reduction in trypsin inhibitor activity.
 58. The process of claim 48 wherein a reducing agent is added to the concentrated and optionally diafiltered soy protein solution prior to drying and/or the dried soy protein product to disrupt or rearrange the disulfide bonds of trypsin inhibitors to achieve a reduction in trypsin inhibitor activity.
 59. A soy protein product produced by the process of claim
 1. 60. An acidic solution having dissolved therein the soy protein product of claim
 59. 61. The aqueous solution of claim 60 which is a beverage.
 62. The soy protein product of claim 59 which is blended with water soluble powdered materials for the production of aqueous solutions of the blend.
 63. The blend of claim 62 which is a powdered beverage.
 64. An aqueous solution with a near neutral pH, preferably in the pH range of about 6 to about 8, having dissolved therein the soy product of claim
 59. 65. The aqueous solution of claim 64 which is a beverage. 